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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22396777">Hope is a Powerful Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye'>LadyKnightSkye</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Ficlet, M/M, One Shot, Rey Palpatine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:27:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22396777</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Rey Palpatine is to marry Crown Prince Poe Dameron, however, she has no desire to bow to the wishes of her grandfather. </p><p>So, she picks her own damn spouse, thank you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hope is a Powerful Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <p>Princess Rey Palpatine supposed that she should have thought this plan through a bit better. Perhaps jumping on the roof of the stables of the Floating Palace of the Republic of Celestine and threatening to bring it all down if they tried to marry her off to Crown Prince Poe Dameron was a bit hasty. Granted, she could not discuss this with her grandfather - Emperor Sheev Palpatine had all but salivated at the chance to try to fold the Republic in to the Empire by marriage - but perhaps she could have spoken to Queen Mon Mothma. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Hindsight is twenty-twenty, one can only suppose. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>So here she was, standing atop the stables, her Dark Magic swirling in one palm as she stood ready to let it fly. She licked her lips, trying to figure out what she was going to do next. “Rey!” he grandfather hissed. “Get down this instant!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“No,” she hissed back. “I will not marry Poe Dameron!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>The crowd gasped. “Then who?” Palpatine snarled. “You are not leaving this city, and I’m not leaving you here unwed!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Frantically, she threw out her mental feelers. Honing in on the single men was easy, and choosing the best candidate was easy as well. “Him! I’ll marry him!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Heads swiveled as she pointed to a tall man in black robes. He was blinking owlishly up at her, and absolutely no one was expecting the reaction of the three older people with him. Simultaneously, the eldest man cried out, “Ben? You want to marry Ben?,” the woman cried out, “Over my dead body!,” and the man who resembled the woman somewhat burst into laughter. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ben, as the tall, dark man in black robes was known, blushed a deep crimson. He looked deeply uncomfortable, but Rey had felt him. He was single, not a jerk, and available emotionally. Perfect. “I marry him, or no other!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sheev turned to the Queen. “It seems my granddaughter gives us little choice.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mon Mothma turned to the man and his family. “Ben Solo, I cannot force you to do this, and rest assured that we will -“</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“No!” Ben cried, startling everyone. “No, I’ll do it.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Literally everyone stopped. “What?” Mon Mothma asked.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What?” his mother shrieked.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What?” Rey breathed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He nodded. “I’ll marry the princess.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Rey put down her arm, willing her magic to dissipate. “Really?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ben nodded, moving forward, and nimbly hoisted himself up to the roof beside her. She watched with interest as he pulled himself up easily, and she realized that what she’d taken for robes from afar were actually a surcoat and cowl. He was dressed in the clothing of a knight. He had no sword - as was customary for someone inside the palace - but she saw a respectable dagger hanging from his belt. Up close she could see that his face was not classically handsome, but there was a sculpted beauty to it. He wore his curly black hair long, and a beard hugged close to his jaw. He offered her a bow. “I am Ben Solo, my lady, Knight of the Republic. It would be my honor to become your husband.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He took her hand in his, and place a kiss on the back of it. Rey was mesmerized for full moment before Poe’s voice broke the trance. “<em>Since when has Ben been able to talk to women?</em>“</p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p>As they made the ceremonial walk down the grand hall before moving to the chapel to actually do the deed, Ben leaned over and asked, “I know Poe can be a bit much, but why the insistence that you can’t marry him?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Rey sighed. “Because he’s in love with Finn. He deserves to marry someone he loves.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“And you?” Ben whispered.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She found it suddenly very hard to meet his eyes. “I felt you. It’s part of my skill set. I think . . . At least with you, there is the hope of love.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Hope is a powerful thing,” he replied. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The rest of the trek was done in silence. The ceremony itself was short and perfunctory, but Rey caught her grandfather giving her the worst looks from the side. Sheev had just seen his plans dashed, and she knew that he would find a way to get even. He was good at that. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The banquet, however, began promisingly enough. The traditional toasts were made, even though everyone knew how much of a sham they were. Fortunately for the couple, they were left more or less to their own devices during the meal. “So, why was your mother displeased?” she finally asked.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ben cast a glance to the woman who was still seething. “I am of House Skywalker.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Rey froze, a spoon full of soup half way to her mouth. “No.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He nodded. Rey put down the spoon so that she would not ruin her beautiful white dress. Then, she laughed. She laughed long and hard, and soon everyone had stopped to see what she was laughing about. “You’re perfect!” she finally crowed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Apparently, this was the signal to go back to what they were originally doing, but Ben was grinning at Rey. “I take it Sheev remembers what Anakin did?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Gods yes!” she said. She adopted his notoriously sonorous tones. “Have I told you the tale of Darth Plageius the Wise? Oh, but have I told you of the last man I ever told that to . . .”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ben chuckled. “I think my father’s just glad that I found a woman. I’ve never courted or been courted, and I’m thirty.” He blushed, probably realizing that maybe that wasn’t something to admit.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me, just means I get to keep you all to myself.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He grinned. “I could be okay with that.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>They shared a smile. “So, you are a Knight?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Magus, technically,” he replied. “And you are a Sorceress?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Magus, technically,” she echoed.  For the next four hours the talked, talked about their studies, talked about their interests, their families. They spent so much time talking that no one felt right interrupting them, even their still standoffish parents. At one point, Rey reached out and placed her hand on his. “I like you Ben.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I like you too,” he replied. “So, my lovely Lady Rey, do you still have the hope for love?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She smiled at him. “The flame burns strong. What can I say, I’ve found a man that interests me, and who pisses off my hated grandfather.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“To hope and spite?” he proposed, raising his goblet.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“To hope and spite,” she agreed, tapping his glass. </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, this might be partially inspired by a spiteful exchange I witnessed on Twitter. But, I hope you guys enjoy this little ficlet. I may come back someday and flesh it out more, but I've simply got too many other things on my plate.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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